As Niagara College continues its campus revitalization efforts, four students in the Carpentry and Renovation Technician program had plenty of opportunities to put their skills to the test this summer alongside staff in Facilities Management Services (FMS).
Joseph Kealey and Mehakdeep Singh in Welland, and Samuel Strickland and Martina Harbour in Niagara-on-the-Lake, completed their paid co-op on campus supporting various construction projects.
“The students gained valuable experience related to their field of work and our FM team was able to complete many work items that the team may not have had time to address otherwise,” said Carmen Guglielmi, Facilities Operations Lead in FMS at the Welland Campus.
“The students kept very busy over the summer participating with many refresh projects,” said Ivan Regehr, Facilities Operations Lead at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. “The team at DJP were happy to share their experience with both Martina and Sam. I would like to thank them both for their efforts and hard work this summer.
Their work included demolition, concrete grinding, concrete work, drywalling, painting, installing ceiling grit systems, flooring, building walls, hanging pictures, installing whiteboards, building engineered walkways, air ducts, vents, and more.
“We were very lucky to do our co-op term here,” said Kealey, who worked from 7 am. to 3:30 p.m. five days a week. “It was very nice to gain all this experience on campus.”
Singh says the experience strengthened his ability to do repair work, and ultimately approach projects with more care.
Looking to the future, Kealey wants to build his repertoire of trades skills and eventually start his own renovation company. Singh hopes to bring his Canadian work experience to trades work back home in India.
“As a result of the successful last term with the co-op students, the Facilities Management and Campus Safety team is working to expand our co-op opportunities for students to provide real world experience on NC campuses for their future careers,” said Bill Rainey, Senior Director Facilities Management & Campus Safety.
The team is now actively recruiting co-op students for the Fall Term and beyond.
